G.O.P. Split Over Inquiry on Prisoner Abuse

[TacticalPeek]

G.O.P. Split Over Inquiry on Prisoner Abuse
By CARL HULSE and CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS

Published: May 19, 2004

ASHINGTON, May 18 ? With top Iraq battlefield commanders scheduled to testify about the prison abuse scandal before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, a major rift has developed among Republicans as to whether Congress is taking the inquiry into the issue too far.

A number of prominent Republicans, including the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, accused the Senate committee on Tuesday of devoting too much attention to a matter already under Pentagon investigation and distracting the military leadership from the Iraq conflict itself.

"It is time to refocus on winning the war and not pull our battlefield leadership out of the theater," said the House committee's chairman, Representative Duncan Hunter, Republican of California.

The unusual public fight among Republicans reflected mounting political anxiety over the course of the war, and came as both the House and the Senate were grappling with a military measure that would provide an extra $25 billion to pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through early next year.


more
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/19/politics/19CONG.html?ex=1085544000&en=10e2f5c09aa0d7a5&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[radfringe]

1. similar to bush*'s excuse regarding 9-11 investigation

"It is time to refocus on winning the war and not pull our battlefield leadership out of the theater," said the House committee's chairman, Representative Duncan Hunter, Republican of California.

when many people were calling for 9-11 investigation - bush* opposed it, stating that it would hinder/strip resources and people from the war on terra...

my 2-cents: they want to shut down the investigation because it's becoming apparant that the torture was not limited to a 'few people' at the bottom, that this goes up the chain of command and is hurting bush*'s campaign

[Moderator]

2. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x564461